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Amphibians

Disease in Amphibians

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Written by Ellia Cobb, Transforming Lives Trainee

Disease is a huge issue for our amphibian population, Ranavirus and Chytridiomycosis being two of the main diseases that threaten our native species. It is thought that these diseases were introduced by non-native species being released into the wild. One third of all amphibians are at risk of extinction with heavy declines across the globe.

A frog with ranavirus (c) Dee Wilkinson

Ranavirus is somewhat new to the UK and is mainly found in common frogs, some of the symptoms are skin ulcers which are commonly seen on the skin around the legs and pelvic area. The frogs infected will also suffer from internal bleeding which you may only be able to identify from redness around the mouth and cloaca. Frogs may also show signs of lethargy, but they won’t always show obvious symptoms of this virus. Ranavirus is only active during warmer temperatures, but can be devastating to pond populations around summer time, it is fatal and can affect the entire pond population.

Chytrid infection has been responsible for mass mortalities within the UK’s amphibian population and in some cases, it has caused extinctions. Most native natterjack toad populations have tested positive for the infection, but seem to be unaffected. That however, doesn’t stop them from spreading it to other amphibian populations. Evidence suggests that chytrid causes death by preventing sufficient uptake of salts through the skin. Amphibians need these salts for their circulation and without this, their hearts cease to function. Symptoms of this include ulcers, reddening, shedding and unusual behaviours.

There are steps everyone can take to prevent the spread of amphibian disease:

  1. Do not transfer animals or plants from one pond to another. 
  2. Do not purchase wild-caught spawn, tadpoles or adult amphibians online. Not only is this against the law, but you do not know the origin of the animals. 
  3. Do not release pet/exotic amphibians into the wild. It is against the law and can cause severe damage to not only the released amphibian, but the local population too. 
  4. If you suspect disease in an amphibian, report it to Garden Wildlife Health

Butterflies, bats and birds among rare species set to benefit from new funding announced  

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  • 63 projects (including Froglife’s London Blue Chain project) awarded share of £14.5 million to support species recovery across England  
  • Species, such as rare mosses, Duke of Burgundy Butterflies and Greater Horseshoe Bat set to benefit from efforts to improve habitats
  • Work will contribute to government commitment to reduce species at risk of extinction

Some of England’s most rare and threatened species – from the Large Marsh Grasshopper, native White-Clawed Crayfish to Lapwings and Water Voles – are to be supercharged on the road to recovery thanks to a multi-million-pound grant scheme.  
 
63 projects across the country have been awarded a share of £14.5 million by Natural England to help recover 150 species nationwide.

The Species Recovery Programme Grant Scheme supports targeted action to recover our most endangered species. The funding will support efforts to fine tune habitat conditions for our rarest species, and actions such as propagation, captive rearing, translocations, research and solution-trialling to find the best approaches to enable endangered wildlife to survive and thrive.

England’s wildlife is facing extreme pressures – habitat fragmentation, climate change and invasive species have created huge declines, with average species abundance falling by 52%. Numbers of the Duke of Burgundy Butterfly, for example, have declined by some 50% in the last 20 years.

Some of the projects to benefit from the funding include:

  • Chalk stream restoration. The WET Hogsmill project led by the South East Rivers Trust, will improve a rare chalk stream in Southwest London, supporting species such as Brown Trout, Sea Trout, Eels and Water Voles returning to the river.
  • The Wiltshire Chalk Partnership Chalk Species Revival – to support the recovery of the Wart-biter Bush Cricket, Marsh Fritillary, the Large Blue, the Adonis Blue and the Duke of Burgundy butterflies which are in serious sustained decline. Led by the National Trust in collaboration with Natural England, the RSPB, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and the Pewsey Downs Farmer Group, the project will create a mosaic of habitat connecting butterfly populations across the landscape. 
  • Reintroducing the Large Marsh Grasshopper in East Anglia – The Citizen Zoo Hop of Hope project to reintroduce the Large Marsh Grasshopper to East Anglia. Last seen in the area in 1968, this species has suffered decline due to degradation of the bog and fen habitat. The project will support efforts to re-establish a population in this area, building on innovative work to release grasshoppers from pre-incubated eggs.
  • Saving North Yorkshire’s Native Crayfish — Claws for Thought delivered by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, this project will work with members of the North Yorkshire Crayfish Forum to create a resilient population of the native White-clawed Crayfish. The project will establish a crayfish rearing facility, and interventions, such as introducing woody debris and reducing sediment, will provide new breeding sites and food sources supporting sustainable populations of native Crayfish. 
  • Horseshoes Heading East – This partnership project, led by the Vincent Wildlife Trust, will create a viable population of Greater Horseshoe Bats in south-east England through a combination of roost creation and habitat enhancement. Improving connectivity across the landscape and linking maternity sites will improve the breeding success of this rare and iconic species. The project will also support other rare bat species such as the Greater Mouse-eared Bat and the Grey Long-Eared Bat.  

Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, said:  

“Nature is in drastic decline all around us, with England now one of the most nature depleted countries in Earth. Many once common animals and plants are much reduced with some 15 percent of species at risk of becoming extinct here.

“It’s a dire situation, but can still be turned around. We know this because we’ve seen the population of the once endangered Bittern rise dramatically, the recovery of the Fen Raft Spider and Water Voles successfully reintroduced to areas from where they had previously been lost. The partnership projects we are highlighting today demonstrate the power of collaborative action to reverse species decline and we look forward to seeing positive practical progress as a result of the investments being made”.

Bella Davies, Chief Executive of the South East Rivers Trust, said:  

“We are thrilled to have been successful in our application to Natural England’s Species Recovery Grant to support the recovery of water voles, eel and native wild trout which have become near extinct on the Hogsmill river in South West London.

“The Hogsmill is a rare urban chalk stream meaning that it’s not only a very rare and special habitat for wildlife, with only 220 chalk streams worldwide, but an important resource for many people too. Our project will restore river habitat and create backwaters where fish can take refuge from pollution, create wetlands to improve water quality which will help reintroduce water voles which were once prevalent on the river. We are excited to see this much needed work begin on the ground to bring water vole, eel and trout back to the Hogsmill”.

The money has been awarded following a competitive application round, and will be used by environmental charities, wildlife organisations, local authorities and charities in projects across the country.

The projects will help deliver the Nature Recovery Network, creating, improving and connecting more wildlife-rich areas benefitting people and helping species to thrive.

The projects will also provide new opportunities for people to experience the wellbeing benefits of accessing the natural world, and help build resilience to climate change, while sustaining the vital ecosystems that provide us with healthy soil, clean air and water.

Improving strongholds for wildlife and investing in long-term species recovery will help achieve the government’s pledge to reduce the species extinction by 2042 compared to 2022 levels, restore more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife habitat, and increase species abundance as set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan.  

Amphibians In Urban Environments

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Written by Kaitlin Oliver, Transforming Lives Trainee

Amphibians in urban environments face a range of challenges due to the altered habitat, pollution and human activities associated with urbanization.

Urban development often involves the destruction of natural habitats which lead to the loss of breeding and feeding grounds for amphibians. Additionally, any remaining natural areas can become fragmented with lakes and woodlands being closed off by housing, making it difficult for amphibians to move between suitable habitats. This can lead to isolated populations and reduced genetic diversity, causing inbreeding.

Amphibians heavily rely on aquatic environments for breeding and larval development. Urban environments can expose amphibians to various forms of pollution, including chemical pollutants from runoff, air pollution and noise pollution. Amphibians have permeable skin that makes them sensitive to pollutants, leading to developmental deformities, immune system suppression and reduced reproductive success. Urban areas often have altered water bodies like unhealthy ponds, ditches and drainage systems that may be contaminated with pollutants, have fluctuating water levels, or lack suitable vegetation. These conditions can negatively impact amphibian survival rate and their larval survival.

Amphibians such as frogs and toads rely on using water sources such as lakes, rivers, forest ponds and garden ponds. Newts especially rely on healthy ponds to breed in. If you have space, adding a pond to your garden will not only help amphibians, but will also massively improve the lives of a variety of wildlife. Froglife has a booklet that you can download called ‘Just add water’ on our website if you are interested in building a pond suitable for amphibians.

Designing urban infrastructure with consideration for amphibians can make a significant difference. For example, creating artificial wetlands, amphibian-friendly green roofs, creating wildlife corridors, maintaining natural water bodies, implementing wildlife-friendly landscaping practices and constructing road barriers or tunnels to reduce road mortality can all provide fantastic habitats and mitigate the impacts of urbanization.

Citizen science is very important as it can help monitor the health and distribution of amphibians. If you have a pond that amphibians breed in or visit, please use our free Dragon Finder App to report your sightings. Roads and vehicles pose a significant threat to amphibians in urban areas, so another way you can help amphibians is through the Toads on Roads project, where you assist toads in your area with their spring migration journey crossing roads.

Urbanization poses numerous challenges for our declining populations of amphibians, however, there are opportunities for conservation and education. By implementing thoughtful planning, mitigation measures, and public engagement, it’s possible to create more amphibian-friendly urban landscapes and help protect these vital components of biodiversity.

 

The Life Cycle of a Newt

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Written by Ellia Cobb, Transforming a Lives Trainee

During early spring, when the weather starts to warm up male newts display a courtship dance to the females where he will fan, whip, and wave his tail to attract the female. If he is successful, the female will allow him to fertilize her eggs and begin laying them. Each egg is laid individually on the underside of a leaf on the surface of a pond, the leaf is then folded over the egg to protect it. The eggs take 2-3 weeks to fully develop and hatch into larvae.

Great crested newt egg folded inside a leaf

The newt larvae will stay in the pond until they have developed and undergone metamorphosis, during which the larvae will develop legs and lungs which allow them to breathe and live on land. Before this stage the larvae have feathered external gills like those of an axolotl which are then absorbed during metamorphosis. Once this is complete, they will leave the water to live terrestrially. At this stage they are juveniles.

On land, juveniles will hunt for insects, worms and slugs and spend most of their time hidden in warm, damp places (underneath logs, rocks, and scrub) during the summer. From October the newts will brumate (taking advantage of warmer winter days to forage), they don’t reach sexual maturity until 2-4 years old and can live a few more years once matured.

Once the newts are mature and the weather starts to warm up again, during early spring, the newts will take to the pond in search of a mate to then continue the cycle all over again. 

The Importance of wildlife ponds in gardens

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Written by Ellia Cobb: Transforming Lives Trainee

There has been a 50% decline in pond habitats in the UK over the past century, with 80% of those remaining being classified as either in ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ condition. We can all do our bit to tackle this problem.

Wildlife ponds are amazing for wildlife, having a pond in your garden or greenspace is highly beneficial to all kinds of different species such as frogs, toads, newts and invertebrates. They provide a safe place for amphibians to feed, lay their spawn and raise their young as well as providing drinking and bathing water for other wildlife in the process. 

Ponds don’t have to be perfect! Creating a pond can be a simple and fun activity and will add to the two thirds of support that garden ponds provide freshwater species already. 

An effective way to create a pond suitable for amphibians and other species is to dig out and line your own, ensuring it is deep enough and sloped to allow wildlife to get in and out. It is important that the pond isn’t one depth and has shallow areas for amphibians to rest and deeper areas for hibernation. Ranges in depth are also great for planting a variety of vegetation. Planting different floating, marginal emergent and oxygenating plants will help your pond thrive and provide hiding places and egg-laying sites.

It is a good idea to use a durable pond liner so that your pond lasts many years. Be patient with your pond as it can take some time for wildlife to find them. They will not need much maintenance once finished.

You can find loads of advice in our Just Add Water booklet and on our Wildlife at Home web page on how to build ponds. Remember to send in your photos to info@froglife.org so we can share them on social media!

Thank you day

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Written by Chloe Davey, Transforming Lives Trainee.

Chloe Davey: Transforming Lives Trainee

As we continue through Summer, we also happily hop into July 2nd. It just so happens to be the same day as the delightful holiday, Thank You Day! There are many things to be thankful for and I know for sure how thankful I, and the other Transforming Lives Trainees, are to join Froglife. We look forward to learning more about our lovely reptile and amphibian friends. My personal favourite is the common frog, but I also love common toads, they’re just so charming and are always a delight to see. What is your favourite reptile or amphibian and why?

We, the Transforming Lives Trainees, have experienced so much in just over a month. This includes numerous reptile surveys, which has helped us to easily identify the many wonderful species we have right here in the UK. It has been an absolute pleasure to see creatures not many get to see up close . I find that adders and slow worms are the most interesting and unique reptiles I have come across so far. It took me by surprise to learn that slow worms are actually legless lizards and not snakes! And adders are just a true sight to behold, a gorgeous zigzag pattern with the most beautiful, bright red eyes.

We have also been planting in the waters of Eye Green Nature Reserve. We noticed there is a quite a large population of smooth newts and great crested newts! The water plants are to restore the pond to a much healthier and better habitat for them. We want to encourage them to stay and continue to repopulate in that area as much as possible. It has been fantastic working with such a great team who are just as enthusiastic and passionate about wildlife as I am.

I am excited to learn more from Froglife and to help the community see reptiles and amphibians in a better light. Keep your eyes open as Summer continues and good luck spotting your favourite native species!

Thank you so much Froglife for this amazing opportunity and thank you all for reading!